From the Shadows
by raywing
Summary: When the Slayers are reunited two years after defeating Darkstar, a new chain of events is set in motion...but something is very, very wrong.  Set two years after TRY.  AZ with implied LG.  Rating to be on the safe side.
1. Prologue:  Two Spheres

**Before We Begin: a couple of Author's Notes**

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for the brilliant creation of the major Slayers characters, or the Slayers world in general. I am simply…borrowing them, but in no way intend to financially benefit from the use of said characters/world. I am also very poor, so please don't sue.

Note 1: This is an A/Z fic, written by an Amelia supporter. Everyone is completely entitled to their opinion, but if you are not an Amelia or A/Z fan, then I suspect you would be happier reading something else. Live and let live, yes? That said, constructive criticism is more than welcome. I am trying as much as possible to keep the Slayers gang in character, but I'm also trying to allow for character growth and the passage of time. It's a tough balancing act, and I'd love to hear how you think I'm doing. I've tried to stick to cannon as far as possible, but naturally I'll have to use a little artistic license to fill in any gaps an so forth, and I hope you will like the end result. This is my first fic, so please play nice.

Note 2: SPOILER WARNING: this fic is set post-TRY, though the plot happens to rely a lot more an events towards the end of NEXT. There will be big spoilers for both seasons. If you haven't seen them already, I do heartily recommend them (though I humbly maintain that the subtitled versions are far superior).

Note 3: I've stuck to writing in English and English only (as opposed to inserting various Japanese words/phrases) with two major exceptions: the use of the –san suffix, and the word "Mazoku". Here follows a two-second tutorial for the newcomer: -san is a mild honorific added to the end of a name when addressing a stranger or someone older than yourself. Using –san is considered good manners. Amelia, for example, generally refers to Lina as Lina-san in the original Japanese. This is often translated into English by prefixing Mister or Miss (eg, "Miss Lina" rather than just "Lina") but there really isn't a direct translation, so I have chosen to use the –san.

About "Mazoku": In the Slayers world, there is a difference between an ordinary "monster" (that is, nasty/annoying but otherwise flesh-and-blood creature) and those referred to in the English translation as the "Monster race" with a capital "M". The proper Japanese word for the latter is Mazoku, to distinguish them from "ordinary" baddies because these Mazoku are actually a lot more analogous to what we'd call Demons—ie, primarily non-physical beings of (supposedly) pure evil. To avoid confusion and maintain the distinction between ordinary monsters and these "demons," I will use Mazoku when referring to the so-called "Monster race". These include Xellos, Gaav, etc.

Okay—that should do it. Enough previews! On to the feature presentation!

* * *

**Prologue: Two Spheres**

"Hear me, fiend who dwells in the heart of darkness!" (EP 11)

_

* * *

_

_The girl watched as the pair of living spheres swooped in and began to circle the small band of warriors, taunting them, _mocking_ them. Anytime one of the warriors tried to attack them, the grey sphere absorbed it, and the red sphere would follow, darting out to strike back. "You can't get us," they seemed to say—circling, circling— these 'inanimate' objects somehow managing to be smug. The girl had had enough. _

_She had never considered herself to be anything much. She was the youngest of the group—not quite so young as she looked, but still small. The other sorceress' magic was stronger in battle (black magic always did have better attacks) and the girl herself had no competence with weapons to match the other two warriors—the powerful, chivalrous blonde, and the quiet, haunted sorcerer-swordsman for whom the girl's eyes held a particular light. No, she wasn't much…but it was time. _

_Curling her hands into fists, she summoned her magic with a cry of "_Visfarank_!" and barreled forward to meet the foe. The magic concentrated around her fists and she stuck ferociously, catching the spheres by surprise. Her comrades were incredulous—who would _dream _of attacking an honest-to-the-gods _Mazoku _with her bare hands? The very idea seemed crazy, but…gods preserve them, it was working! She charged on valiantly, driving the first sphere back relentlessly. As amazing as the display was, the edge of surprise wasn't going to last, for the spheres were more troublesome than they looked. The second sorceress speculated that it might be most effective to hit both spheres at the same time, whereupon the slighter, beige-cloaked swordsman channeled magic into his blade and, with careful timing, sprang upon the remaining sphere, once again sharing a triumph with his small, black-haired partner as the spheres exploded into plumes of dust. When the dust settled, the champions were revealed, and she grinned over at him, raising a hand in celebration._

"_Victory!" she shouted with joy, encountering both delight and battle with her whole heart. He started to grin back, but just then there came a half-felt astral ripple. His eyes widened. It was behind her—!_

"Amelia!" The sleeping figure next to the dying campfire snapped awake with a shout. Zelgadis sat bolt upright, then remained as he was for several seconds, breathing hard, the dream-images still fading. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he rubbed stone-skinned hands across his stone-skinned face and shook his head. He stretched out a hand to where he'd set down his traveling gear and snagged his canteen, taking a swallow of water to help calm himself. After he replaced the lid, he looked at an object looped around the canteen's neck, gently tracing his fingers along the length of pink ribbon. Amelia's bracelet…. He sighed again, wondering where she was now, what she was doing. _Probably at home, tending to all her official duties_, he guessed.

He lay back down. He had always been rather nightmare-prone…well, ever since that fateful day when he'd been _changed_…. Originally, all of his nightmares had been about that, but lately other past events had started coming back in his dreams. Usually the nightmares faded once he'd spent some time in the company of his few friends, but they always returned again when he set off on his own. It had been months since he'd seen those friends last, and with a sigh he recognized that many months more lay ahead.


	2. Reminiscing

**Chapter 1: Reminiscing**

"This is the only burial we can give them now." (EP 75)

* * *

"Well then, gentlemen, it seems as though we've reached a reasonable agreement," declared Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, Princess and Heir Apparent of the "White Magic Kingdom," with which she shared a name. 

"Yes, your majesty," both parties agreed.

"Then if you will both sign here, it will be official, and our business will be finished," she pronounced.

Amelia smiled as she watched them sign, quite satisfied to have successfully arbitrated the rather complex dispute. The men involved both bowed and took their leave, and Amelia sighed happily and stretched. It had been a difficult job—but justice had won again! She actually liked her work as a princess; true, there were sometimes mountainous piles of boring and _incredibly_ dry paperwork, but even that still helped maintain the peace and order of her homeland and, through its influence, the peace of the Continent in general. It was quite an accomplishment, really, when one had only just turned eighteen.

She took a look out the window to gauge the time of day, and realized that the meeting had actually finished well ahead of schedule. Rarity of rarities, it looked like she actually had a little free time, and after a moment's thought she knew just what to do with it. She made a brief detour to her rooms, pausing only long enough to change into less conspicuous (and far more comfortable) garb before heading out into the city and seeking out an old friend who she knew could use a little company.

Amelia deftly wove her way through the crowds on the streets, enjoying the brief walk from the Palace to the city center. She hummed as she strolled up to her objective, a humble apartment not far from the Grand Shrine of Ceiphied. Her quiet knock was quickly answered, and the door opened to reveal a tall, slender young woman, black-haired like the princess, with soft, grey-green eyes. "Hello? Oh, Amelia-san!" the woman exclaimed, giving an out-of-practice smile.

"Hi, Sylphiel-san! I hope this is a good time to visit," Amelia said.

"Of course—do come in," Sylphiel invited. The poor young woman was pale-faced, drawn, the very image of someone who has carried a great sadness for far too long.

"How are you doing, Sylphiel-san?" Amelia asked as they entered the cool interior of the home ad arranged themselves comfortably.

"Okay, I guess," she answered.

"Is your uncle in?"

"No, he has work at the Shrine today, so I'm taking care of the house."

"Ah," Amelia said, for lack of anything better, and lapsed into silence for a moment. Sylphiel and her uncle, her only surviving family, had come to live in Seyruun after their home city of Sairaag had been destroyed for the second time in as many years. That terrible pair of tragedies had cost Sylphiel just about everyone she had known and loved, including her father.

"It's been almost four years since…the first time, hasn't it?" Amelia mused aloud, her demeanor uncharacteristically solemn.

"Actually, it will be exactly four years tomorrow," Sylphiel told her.

"Oh. You know," Amelia said slowly, curiosity getting the better of her, "have you or your uncle thought about…maybe trying to rebuild again?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "Flagon is gone and…after everything failed so badly…no, I don't think Sairaag can ever really come back."

"I suppose not," Amelia agreed. "Still, it seems so sad for there to be nothing, for it to just…sort of…end, with no one there to remember," she pointed out.

"Maybe," Sylphiel said reluctantly, "but even if we tried, who would ever want to settle there?" She shuddered, remembering what they had found on their last visit three years ago. "I don't blame people for saying that it's a cursed place now."

"That's right…it's never really been cleansed, has it?" After the city of Sairaag, once the sight of the holy tree Flagoon, had been "resurrected" by the Mazolu Lord Fibrizo as a city of the living dead, everything about the city, its memory, even the land itself had felt...tainted somehow. Flagoon was dead, and the perversion of a temple built in its place now lay in ruins, acting as Fibrizo's twisted gravestone. "But, well, there's us," Amelia went on. "We're both White mages, and White Magic is meant for this sort of thing. What if Sairaag _were_ cleansed," she speculated, "and it had the support of the White Magic Capital behind it? The memory, at least, could be laid to rest."

"Why—yes, I think that would be true!" Sylphiel agreed, for the first time showing a glimmer of hope.

"Then we'll do it," Amelia declared heartily. "After that…maybe it _could _be resettled someday."

"I still don't know if that would ever be possible," Sylphiel disagreed.

"Well…." Amelia paused to think for a moment. There was an old piece of advice she'd overheard from one father's most trusted advisors, which she hadn't remembered until just this moment: one problem, alone, is a problem. Two problems at once will very often solve each other. Seyruun, it turned out, was beginning to experience a problem with overcrowding, which she and Father had just been discussing with the council the other day. There had been a vast increase in trade after the fall of the Barrier and, while this was generally a very good thing, it had caused a lot of merchants and others to relocate to Seyrunn. Unfortunately, the carefully planned city could only support so many people, and so there were currently a significant number of inhabitants wishing for a little better situation. Give them an opportunity to find some breathing space, offer them a little land of their own, and a lot of them (including a handful of refugees from the original Sairaag) would be delighted to relocate—to, say, somewhere like a New Sairaag. The idea came together in a flash of inspiration, and as she filled in the edges Amelia carefully explained what she was thinking to Sylphiel.

Sylphiel stared back at her, open-mouthed. "You really think it would work?"

"Well…I could never be _sure…_but I think so, yes," Amelia replied. "And Seyruun, of course, would send all the supplies and aid it could…."

"Maybe it really _is _possible," Sylphiel admitted. "Still…."

Amelia nodded, understanding. "We can't decide today. We'll have to do the cleansing first…visit it. Then you'll know for sure if it feels right."

"Yes, that sounds like the best thing to do," her companion agreed.

"We have a plan, then—wonderful!" Amelia bubbled, clasping her hands together happily. Her enthusiasm was infectious enough that Sylphiel even experimented with another smile.

The two sat in companionable silence for a while and enjoyed some tea and snacks. At length, Sylphiel asked, "have you heard anything from the others?"

"Yes, in fact," Amelia responded. "I got a note from Filia-san just the other day."

"Filia-san? Oh, that's right. She owns a…mace and pottery shop, doesn't she?"

"Right! She says business has been great, and she and Gravos-san and Jillas-san are all doing well."

"That's good to hear. Has—um…Val, wasn't it?—has his egg hatched yet?"

"No. She said it's going to be a while yet—another year or so, maybe, but as far as she can tell he's okay."

"That's nice. Anything from Lina-san and…dear Gourry?" Sylphiel asked timidly.

Amelia shook her head. "No real news since the last letter—just a short note to say that they were on their way to Atlas City for more of that roast beef…."

"They're going all the way to Atlas city for…roast beef?" Syphiel asked in disbelief.

"Well, it _is _supposed to be very good," Amelia noted. "I didn't try it when we were there that one time, but Lina-san and Gourry-san did."

"You were there? When?" Sylphiel asked, curious. She had expected to hear that they'd just passed through some time or another, nothing much, but in retrospect she was not as surprised by the tale that unfolded as Amelia recounted the Fateful Food Debate and its unintended consequences. (For the record, Amelia still maintained that Nyra-Nyra's Hot-pot was the superior meal.) The ensuing entanglement with Daymia, Tarimu and the chronically dysfunctional inner workings of the Atlas City's Sorcerer's Guild had _not been their fault_.

By the end of the story, Sylphiel had to discreetly wipe tears of laughter from her eyes and Amelia admitted that, looking back, it _had_ been pretty funny. Other, not remotely funny things had followed, but those were neither in her story, nor in her thoughts at the moment. It was too good seeing Sylphiel start to cheer up.

"And you _still _didn't get paid?" Sylphiel responded, as the tale concluded. "Oh, dear. You all really do have…interesting adventures."

"That's one way to put it," Amelia agreed genially.

"So…still no word from Zelgadis-san?" Sylphiel asked quietly.

Amelia shook her head. "No…he's still out there searching for his cure. But he's alright."

"How can you be so sure?" Sylphiel asked.

"I just…know," Amelia replied with a shy smile.

The two young women sat and chatted for a while more, but soon Amelia had to go to return to her duties at the Palace. She gave Sylphiel a sisterly hug and promised to come back in a couple of days with plans for their trip to Sairaag. Then it was back on the streets and home…where there was always so much to do.


	3. Reunion

**Reunion **

"To think we would meet again like this…. Such is Destiny." (EP 27)

* * *

Amelia had honestly intended to keep the whole plan very simple. Unfortunately, it seemed to have developed a life of its own. She told Daddy about her visit with Sylphiel that night at dinnertime, and he'd taken to the idea of purifying and possibly resettling Sairaag very enthusiastically. Over the next couple of weeks, there followed veritable whirlwind of activity when Crown Prince Philionel ordered the organization of a full-scale expedition. Amelia tried to suggest that something smaller might be more suitable at this stage, but he (generous soul that he was) would hear of nothing less. 

Still, he was certainly in the right spirit, and it would definitely keep things lively, so Amelia adjusted to the new situation with her usual ease. Sylphiel was at once taken aback and a little flattered by all the attention their plan was receiving. She'd had no idea how much others would care about laying Sairaag to a dignified rest, and maybe even seeing it reborn. Therefore, when Amelia and Sylphiel left Seyruun two and a half weeks later, they were accompanied by an honor guard, a court historian, and a selection of nobles, each with the usual cloud of functionaries tagging along behind. Prince Philionel had even sent word to each of Seyruun's neighboring nations (and a few nations beyond) informing them of the plan and inviting them to send small delegations of their own to the Cleansing Ceremony as a gesture of respect. Where invitations were expected to be insufficient, Phil added a few tactful reminders about the Hammer of Justice.

While the rest of the arrangements were being made, Amelia and Sylphiel closeted themselves in the palace library, researching their project. They decided to begin by examining the spells they already knew. _Megiddo Flare _was their first thought; it could exorcise weaker spirits and purge negative energies, but the simple spell was far too weak and too narrowly focused. They were going to have to come up with a way to combine some of the concepts from _Megiddo Flare_ with effects from other spells and vastly amplify the whole package, but at least it was somewhere to start. They brainstormed some more as the ideas continued to take shape. Their work meant cracking open dusty tomes and reviewing the basics of magical symbology and the mechanics of magic circles. It took days of research, several hours of tedious calculations and several more of careful transcription, but at last they outlined their final plan, the details of which they preferred to keep private until everything was carried out.

By then, the day of departure was almost upon them, and they were busy packing. Amelia gave a fond sigh as she thought of her old traveling outfit; it had served her well, but it had become far too worn, and she had outgrown it. Therefore, with a heavy but also eager heart, she had commissioned a new set of clothing. It was in much the same style, with a short-sleeved tunic, leggings, knee-length boots and cape, but rather than white it was the palest, pale blue of an autumn sky. Most of the little accessories were still the same, though she had never replaced the bracelet she'd given Zelgadis-san. She kept the remaining one looped around her belt.

It was with a great deal of fanfare that Seyruun sent off its goodwill expedition; it seemed that the entire populace had turned out to witness the big occasion, everyone dressed in their best and brightest. In fact, the whole thing had become a sort of impromptu holiday, and Amelia thought it was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves. At last, they reached the city gates and passed beyond the massive walls which formed the border of the city-sized seal of protection the city's founders had so carefully designed. Amelia gave a content sigh as they found themselves on the open road. She was filled with memories of her other times on the road—some happy, some sad—but somehow being on the road lifted her heart.

The first half of the journey took them through Ralteague, and their travel was blissfully uneventful. They moved relatively slowly, as they were now such a large group, but they finally made it halfway and took a few days' rest in the city of Telmoord. From Telmoord, their westward journey veered _north_west, following the Great Trade Road which formed the economic backbone of Lyzeille. The Road itself terminated at the port city of Krimson to the extreme northwest, but not before passing first through Atlas city, then through the former site of Sairaag, which was of course their goal. Atlas City was just about at the three-quarters point of their trip, and as they drew near, they all agreed to make an extended stopover here, as well.

Amelia considered all of this very carefully. If things had gone according to plan for Lina-san and Gourry-san, they were headed this way. In fact, they could even be here now…but the chances were very remote, weren't they? As usual in such a situation, Amelia was very torn. They were her friends, and after that fashion she loved them dearly, but objects (such as the Kingdom of Xoana and the Expeditionary Fleet) had been known to explode when in Lina-san's vicinity. What's more, Amelia knew from past experience that if Lina-san _was _in Atlas city then somehow, some way, they would wind up running in to one-another. It was inevitable. Realizing this, she decided meet the inevitable head-on, as befit a Champion of Justice: as soon as the rest of Seyruun's delegation was properly settled, Amelia quietly slipped away from the others and made for Nyo-Heron's Roast Beef Palace.

She was still inwardly debating whether to pray that she _would _find them or that she _wouldn't_, when all of her questions were suddenly answered…while she was still five yards from the door.

"Why you—" came a very distinct, very enraged-sounding voice, "that one is _mine_, Gourry—you hear me? Mine!" Clearly, it could be no one but Lina-san.

With a sigh and a nervous swallow, Amelia opened the door and crossed the threshold. It didnt't take long to see that Lina-san and Gourry-san's appearences hadn't changed any more than their personalities: Lina-san was just the same petite, readheaded, bejeweled sorceress, and Gourry-san was just the same blue-armored warrior. The two combatants—er, diners—didn't immediately look up at the sound of her entrance, and because of their intent concentration on their food, it took several seconds for the new presence to register.

Lina caught sight of the young woman out of the corner of her eye, and then promptly did a double take. "Wha—well I'll be damned. Amelia! Man, it's been _forever_, hasn't it?" she bellowed joyfully, springing from her seat. Amelia leapt across the space between them to give her friend a bear hug that could rival the Pacifist Crush. Of course, the hug was returned in equal strength, since Lina wasn't exactly a weakling, either.

"So, Amelia, what brings you out this way?" Lina asked as the embrace finally broke. "I bet—." She stopped mid-sentence with a strangled sound, and her face switched in an instant from one of joyful reunion to one of outrage and betrayal. "Why…you—_you,_" she sputtered.

Amelia backed away several paces, extremely alarmed. "Lina-san? Wh-what's wrong?"

"_When did you get taller than me?!?!" _Lina demanded at full volume.

It was true: thanks to the passing of two years, Amelia now topped Lina by about three inches, and Lina was taking it personally.

"Er, it's not, um, it's not like I meant to, Lina-san," Amelia said placatingly, rubbing the back of her head with a nervous hand. "These things…eh, they just sort of happen on their own, y'know…?" Both hands were now clasped fretfully under her chin in the universal gesture for "please don't kill me".

"All right, all right," Lina groused. "Gah—I _still _can't believe it!" She was still grumbling, but now there was a slight smile and Amelia sensed with relief that Lina-san was no longer at critical mass. Lina took a seat and with a gesture invited Amelia to take another.

"Things still busy at the palace?" Lina asked brightly, now entirely friendly again after another of her classic, lightning-swift mood changes.

"As always," Amelia agreed cheerfully. This reintroduced Lina-san's inquiries as to what had brought her to Atlas City, so Amelia gave a brief account of her talk with Sylphiel and the resulting expedition.

"Sairaag, huh?" Lina mused, mind full of memories. "Where's Sylphiel now?"

"With the rest of the delegation, settling in at the Inn," Amelia told her.

"Makes sense. Must've been a long trip."

"A bit," Amelia agreed, "but it's gone quite smoothly so far."

"Glad to hear it," Lina replied. "Well, what do you think, Gourry?"

"About what?" he asked innocently.

"About the plan to go to Sairaag, Jellyfish-brains!"

"Amelia's going to Sairaag? But I thought we beat that not-a-kid dude…."

Lina paused and looked at Amelia, a manic faux-grin plastered on her face, left eye twitching. "Excuse me for just a second." She then rounded on her hapless companion, fist connecting with the top of his head.

Normal conversation then resumed, over Gourry's prone form, as if nothing had happened: "Sounds like an all-around good cause to me, Amelia. How long are you all staying in Atlas City?"

"A few days to rest and refresh our supplies; then we move on."

"Perfect! That settles it, then—destination: Sairaag!" Lina proclaimed.

For all her (very sensible) fears of mayhem and destruction, Amelia couldn't help but smile.


	4. Rebirth

**Rebirth **

"Blessed, humble hand of God, breath of Mother Earth. I pray thee, come before me and show your great compassion…."

* * *

Amelia stayed with her friends for just a little longer before reluctantly excusing herself. "I'd really better get back," she explained, "or Captain Trels will be worried." 

"Overzealous bodyguard, huh?" Lina guessed.

"Something like that," Amelia agreed. "After…. Well, Daddy insisted we bring some guards. Of course, it does help the whole thing look more 'official,' too," she added.

"Ah, well. I don't suppose it hurts anything," Lina shrugged. Lina had noticed the false start, but in one of her more empathetic moments, she chose to ignore it. Nobody needed to be reminded of events from the Seyruun family's past.

"It is good to have some extra company," Amelia said, agreeing with Lina's spoken statement. "Well then…um, see you first thing tomorrow morning?"

"You got it. G'night, Amelia. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. Good night Lina-san, Gourry-san." After one more quick hug, she made her way back to the Inn and Sylphiel.

Over the next couple of days, Amelia was kept fairly busy visiting with a group of Lyziellese dignitaries and otherwise overseeing her own country's delegation as it prepared to move on. Every spare moment, however, was spent with all three of her friends. Sylphiel was intensely curious about the adventures surrounding the defeat of Darkstar. Amelia had told her a little—enough for her to know that Filia-san was a new friend of theirs—but there had never been enough time to tell more, and the story had only reached the world at large as bits and pieces of (very) confused rumor. Once asked, Lina-san began to tell the tale with great enthusiasm, though she tended to leave out certain embarrassing bits, such as having taken the job only after being threatened by Luna. Amelia noticed that Gourry-san was generally quiet, rather than interrupting as he used to do with his questions. It seemed he was beginning to learn….

The story continued when everyone was back on the road. Amelia broke away often enough to ensure that things ran smoothly and that none of the accompanying nobles felt ignored, but she otherwise stayed beside Gourry, Sylphiel and Lina. It turned out that Lina was a surprisingly good storyteller; even though Amelia had been there, she listened to Lina-san with rapt attention and the tale was so enthralling, with all it had to tell of strange people and unusual places never before encountered, that it sustained them all the way through the rest of the trip. This too passed uneventfully, and remarkably explosion-free.

They arrived at the ruins of Sairaag on the afternoon of a good, clear day. While the servants erected a central pavilion, whose main pole flew the Seyruun flag, and then several other luxurious tents that surrounded the pavilion like orbiting moons, the four friends went to survey what was left of a once-noble city. The foundations of Fibrizo's temple still stood, portions of wall jutting up from it like pointed teeth. Sensing the miasma of evil it still gave off, both shrine maidens regarded it with uncharacteristic scowls.

"We'll give Sairaag justice, Sylphiel," Amelia said resolutely. "I promise you that." Sylphiel took comfort from her friend's belief.

It took two more whole, impatiently endured weeks before they could act. They had to wait for the rest of the delegations to arrive and settle in, and Amelia and Sylphiel had to lay out the magic circle that they had so carefully designed while in Seyruun. Lina examined it as they worked, but since it was white magic, and since she also didn't have any of their references, she could only partly make it out. The circle had a typical seal in the center, which was then surrounded by five concentric rings of runes, each of which seemed to have a different purpose. She couldn't make out the four inner circles except to see that they _were _white magic, and that the users seemed to intend for the effects to…blend somehow. The fifth circle was even more curious. Unless she was very much mistaken, it was some variety of summoning, but what for she couldn't imagine. _This ought to be interesting,_ she thought.

When Amelia got up the day before the Ceremony, she already thought that it would be the hardest day to bear. All the preparation was finished, and there was little to do but tie up loose ends and fidget. Breakfast with Lina-san and Gourry-san was the usual lively affair, though Amelia and Sylphiel-san remained relatively quiet. After breakfast, they all four decided to go for a stroll. The formerly silent countryside around the ruins had been transformed into a bustling tent "city," and they actually had to jostle their way though a couple of crowds. On their way out of the second jam, Amelia spotted somebody she needed to have a quick word with. She told the others to keep going—she'd catch back up to them in just a second.

"Okay," Lina agreed. "We'll just keep going this direction."

"Fine, Lina-san. Be right back!" Amelia replied, dashing off to tend to business.

True to their word, Lina and the others continued to amble along their chosen path. They finally broke free of the crowds, and from there they simply drifted along the edge of the nearby woods. Lina was idly speculating about whether they would ever make it back to that "all you can eat for a silver-piece" restaurant when the three companions abruptly sensed a presence behind them.

"I _thought _you all had to be around here somewhere," came a wry observation.

Upon sensing the other person, Lina had frozen, but now she dropped her fighting posture and grinned as she turned to face the newcomer, having recognized the voice.

"How ya doin', Zel? Long time, no see!"

"As usual," he replied, pushing back his hood and lowering his mask, his features still exactly the same as when they'd last seen him.

Lina was just about to ask Zel what had brought him here when he turned his head to look at someone who was approaching their group. The figure was of medium height, wearing an outfit of very pale blue, but her hood was up so he couldn't see a face. The figure looked up and suddenly stopped, as though startled. When she reached up and pushed back her hood, Zelgadis felt his jaw go a little slack. "A-Amelia…."

It could be no one but her, though her face was subtly changed. When he'd last seen her, it had still retained some of its childlike, soft roundness, but the lines had matured now into a more elegant frame. "Cute" had forever retreated and (whether she knew it or not) had left "beautiful" in its place. It wasn't the sort of fair-maid, frail-flower "beauty," either, it was something more profound than that. Before, if one had looked carefully, one might sometimes have caught glimpses of this yet-to-come…and now, here it was.

Their eyes met very briefly before they looked hastily away, each blushing furiously as they realized that they'd been staring. Lina suppressed a snort. _Those two,_ she scoffed, mentally rolling her eyes. _When are they gonna figure this out? Okay, time to come to the rescue. _

"_So_, Zel, what brings you this way, anyhow?" Lina asked.

"Taking a break from the search, I guess," he replied. "The Outer Lands really didn't have anything, which I suppose isn't too surprising considering how limited the use of magic is out there, so I came back to the Barrier-lands a couple of months ago. I've just been back to Dragon's Peak to ask about the Claire Bible."

"Any luck?" Lina asked.

He raised a stone eyebrow as if to say the answer should be obvious, but replied anyway: "No. Milgazia was nice enough to see me, but he said the Claire Bible had been too badly damaged to use. They're thinking of repairing it, but according to Milgazia, that's going to take a couple hundred years."

"Wow—Gaav must have really done a number on the place. I guess that rules _that_ out, huh?"

"Sure does," he sighed. "Anyway…he told me that he'd heard something was going on around Sairaag, and since it's not too far, I decided I might as well see what was up. It's supposed to be…some kind of memorial, was it?" As he asked, he glanced over at Amelia, directing his question.

She gave him a smile without thinking about it, and filled him in as they all walked back towards the colorful mass of tents. The rest of the day was surprisingly pleasant. Zel told a few tales about his wanderings, and Lina and Gourry shared a few of their more recent adventures from the last couple of years. Amelia couldn't stop herself from frequently stealing glances at _him, _though if anyone noticed, they didn't say anything. Lina smirked, because she _had _noticed. She'd also noticed _him _sneaking glances at _her. _It was too bad that with all the hubbub generated by the upcoming Ceremony, there was no time or place for a private conversation, or Lina might have tried to arrange it for them. Before everybody knew it, evening had fallen, and it was time to go and get some rest before the big day.

The day itself held more fair weather, which Amelia thought was a good sign. She was glad that her friends would be there…and Zegadis-san...she'd missed him so…but she reminded herself that today was about helping Sylphiel, and Sairaag.

After breakfast, everyone gathered silently: all the assembled dignitaries an their staffs, all of the guards and mercenaries. Lina-san, Gourry-san and Zelgadis-san were all a the front of the crowd, with Seyruun's delegation, something Amelia had quietly taken care of during the previous day's last-minute business.

When everyone had found a comfortable place, Sylphiel and Amelia stepped forward to the level patch of ground where they had prepared their magic circle. They walked side-by-side at first, both dressed in formal shrine maiden's robes. When they reached the circle, they turned and went to opposite sides, where they each knelt and set the palms of their hands to the ground so that the tips of their fingers just brushed the circle's edge. Both cleared their minds and shared a nod when they were ready. Amelia listened closely as Sylphiel began the incantation.

"O spirits who linger,

we give you this, that you might know rest:

I invoke _Sleeping_."

At the words, power flowed from Sylphiel and the smallest, innermost circle of runes began to glow. Amelia then took the next verse:

"O land that has suffered in body and spirit,

we give you this, that you might be clean again:

I invoke _Dicleary._

The next circle also began to glow. The runes and the words of the women's incantation were taking the original spells and altering their energies to meet their casters' will, and so far it seemed to be working. Speaking more confidently now, Sylphiel continued, taking over once more:

"O life which has known harm,

we give you this, that you might be healed:

I invoke _Resurrection_."

They could both feel the energies beginning to bend, and it took more effort to hold them in. The glow, now covering three of the rings, was growing steadily more intense. It was Amelia's turn once more. This time, however, her voice was one of command:

"Hear me, evil which lingers here!

This place is not for you.

Let our ward protect this place,

For we banish you forever from it.

_I invoke Megiddo Flare!"_

The power level abruptly exploded, creating a column of white light too bright to look at. The same light engulfed the women, power flowing over and through them as the energies gathered. There was one more piece to go. It had been Sylphiel's idea, and Amelia, who had helped figure out how to put the idea into practice, thought it was brilliant. It was only fitting, then, for Sylphiel to finish it:

"O blessed Tree,

Which sheltered us and nurtured life,

O spirit of Flagoon!

Come to us this final time,

Aid us as once you did,

That one last evil

May be driven from this land.

We pray to you,

We call to you

Aid us now,

Flagoon's spirit…."

The faintest tint of green began to infuse the energies surrounding them, and Amelia could feel it…the lightest touch of a mind so very unlike anything human, but entirely benevolent. Was this what Sylphiel felt, years ago, when she had communed with Flagoon? The presence strengthened and then stabilized; Flagoon was with them, and now they were ready. Their eyes met and they exchanged the barest nod.

"_Purification!" _they cried in unison, naming the spell and therefore releasing it. Amelia continued to pour power into the ring, while Sylphiel held the mighty responsibility of channeling everything that the ring transformed and released. The green-white energy surged outward like a great wave, flowing everywhere. Amelia and Sylphiel used their magic to sustain it for several minutes, until they could sense that it would be unsafe to drain themselves any further. Without needing to exchange any sort of signal, they ended the spell.

It took several seconds for the magic to fully dissipate. When Sylphiel and Amelia could catch their breaths, they found that the air tasted crisper, cleaner, and the ground beneath their hands felt more…at peace, somehow. When they looked, they saw that the last remnants of Fibrizo's temple had vanished.

Sylphiel was the first to speak: "It worked!"

"We did it," Amelia agreed, beaming.

There were still traces of evil in the odd pocket here and there…but the worst had been undone, and a dedicated team of white mages could probably handle the rest, given time. It was then that Sylphiel knew that they _could _rebuild. Nothing would ever _be _the Sairaag she once knew, but she realized now that it would be possible to build something in its place which could be meaningful in its own right.

Thus—or so the historians were to record—was the Cleansing of Sairaag.

* * *

A/N: Another chapter! We've finally got the whole gang together again--hope you liked it.

Next time: new rumors and a new objective!

Special thanks to everybody who has reiewed so far--you all are the best


	5. Rest

**A/N: **Hey, everybody! Sorry about the delay in posting (blame Harry Potter...) To make up for it, today's update included TWO chapters. Please, enjoy!

* * *

**Rest**

"Just how long do you intend to relax and fool around?" (EP 40)

* * *

After a few moments, Amelia and Sylphiel found that they were able to come to their feet, if just a trifle shakily. They had used a _lot _of energy…. Amelia remained by Sylphiel's side for moral support as the very nervous, older shrine maiden gave a closing prayer and thanked everyone who had come to share the occasion. The two of them then made their way towards their friends. 

"Great job, guys!" Lina enthused, giving them both "pats" on the shoulder which were nearly enough to knock them over. Amelia was silently thankful that she was able to keep her feet; she had improved a lot over the years, but she could still occasionally trip over her own shadow…. Ah, well. Daddy _did _say that the first step towards good fighting technique was learning how to take a fall, and she'd certainly mastered _that_….

"Quite an impressive piece of work," Zelgadis agreed, adding to Lina's praise (though he maintained a more decorous distance). Both young women thanked their friends, Amelia's cheeks coloring just slightly as she struggled (more successfully than not, thank Ceiphied) to control a blush. Praise from Zelgadis-san was pretty rare.

"It…it wasn't necessarily the most elegant technique, fusing other spells like that," she admitted, "but it did work," she concluded with a smile.

"That's all that counts, really," Zel said, ever the practical sort.

They all left the vicinity of the magic circle and headed over to (where else?) the kitchen tents for a well-earned meal, for the Cleansing had taken longer than they might have thought. Once the traditional feeding frenzy had died down, they all relaxed and continued to swap tales about their time apart. At the moment, Zelgadis-san was telling a story, but Lina-san had just interrupted again.

"The holy what?" Lina was asking.

"Hand-grenade," Zelgadis replied. "I have no idea what the stupid thing is, but the whole town worshipped it." He shrugged. "I was really interested in the book that went with it, but all it had was a lot of talk about counting to three…."

"Huh," Lina said, with a shrug of her own. "They sure have some strange stuff in the Outer World…."

After that, everyone stayed with Amelia and Sylphiel the next couple of days as they saw the visitors off and made ready to head back to Seyruun. Sylphiel would no doubt be returning to Sairaag soon, but not before doing a lot of planning, which could be handled elsewhere both more comfortably and more effectively. It was Lina who suggested that the companions go off on their own, traveling ahead of the official delegation. She, for one, didn't feel like being slowed down. Amelia didn't share Lina-san's impatience, but she liked the idea of traveling with just her friends again, if only for a little while. Captian Trels was dead-set against it, but Amelia reassured him by reminding the Captain that these were the same people (now with the addition of Sylphiel) who had kept Prince Philionel safe a few years before. Knowing defeat when he saw it, Captain Trels gave in.

Within days, the friends had settled back in to their old routine. Lina took the lead, with a cheerful (but also secretly watchful) Gourry beside her. Sylphiel tagged along just behind hem, and last came Zel and Amelia, making up the rear-guard. For the most part, everyone walked in silent contentment those first few days, marveling at the sensation of being together _without _the threat of some dire disaster looming over them. They found themselves approaching Atlas City again in record time, and Lina-san's pace quickened as she clearly looked forward to once more sampling its urban comforts.

"You don't suppose she's going to try to make us try that roast beef of hers?" Zelgadis asked, casting a speculative eye at the flamboyant sorceress before them.

"She can _try_," Amelia sniffed. "Actually, I did have a little when I found them—you know, on the way out—and it wasn't _bad_, really…but hot-pot still beats it any day."

"No contest, I'd imagine."

"No, no contest," she agreed heartily. Some things were simply sacred.

"Well…should we go back to Nyra Nyra's for another visit?" he asked, his tone inviting.

"Yes, definitely," she said.

"No mercenary jobs this time, though," Zelgadis declared firmly.

Amelia shook her head and laughed. "We certainly don't want that again…." Even he had to chuckle a bit, and she favored him with one of her smiles. It was always a little hard around Zelgadis-san—every once in a while, like now, he would warm up around his friends, around her, but then he always seemed to retreat back into himself and it was all but impossible to make out what he really thought. Amelia, however, was not one to let such things drag her down, and rather than worry about the next retreat she simply enjoyed the good while it was here.

"I…I think we ought to invite Sylphiel-san, though," Amelia suggested quietly. "If we split up, she probably won't want to intrude on Lina-san and Gourry-san."

"Oh…that's right." He hadn't really thought about that. Still….

"Whatever you think best," he consented, as they crossed the city limits.

They actually wound up having a lovely stay in Atlas City, made all the better for Zel and Amelia by swiftly winning Sylphiel as an ally in their little culinary dispute. Amelia gleefully reflected that all good deeds have their just returns.

They spent two days in the city, and almost before Amelia knew it, it was the evening before they planned to depart. Wanting a little peace and quiet after the dinnertime riot, Amelia followed her natural impulses and sought the broad, flat rooftop, which was bedecked to mimic a patio garden, furnished with durable chairs, and surrounded by an attractively-carved railing, so that it could serve as a pleasant place for guests to relax. She was only partly surprised to find that Zelgadis-san was already there.

She joined him at the railing, and the two simply stood there for a while, arms resting on the rail, a sharp breeze ruffling their hair and cloaks as they looked out into the night.

"Storm's coming up," Zel noted, eyes falling on a slightly darker smudge painted across the western horizon. He thought it would burn itself out before dawn.

Amelia merely nodded. "It feels…so strange, being in Atlas City with us all together again," she whispered.

"Yes it does." This was where it had all started that other time. It seemed ridiculous for something as meaningless as an argument over food to tangle them in the net of a power struggle…a struggle which sent them following along a breadcrumb trail of Mazoku, each new enemy no more than a stepping stone to the next. Zel's hands unconsciously clenched as he recalled the first, that treacherous, back-striking _rat, _Saygram (_it was behind her—!)_

"Darkstar was the more powerful enemy," Zel murmured, half trying to convince himself, and they both knew why they needed convincing. Darkstar, another world's equivalent of the Dark Lord Shabranigdo, had been so…big that it defied comprehension, too much to truly seem real when one tried to look back on it. And compared to the battles before it, it had been so _straightforward_. True, there had been some court-style intrigues along the way, but it had all boiled down to Darkstar was bad, saving the world was good, and the goal was grabbing the proper weapons to fight him. That was it. But Saygram, Gaav, Fibrizo…those battles had been _too_ real. Those battles had been personal.

The fact that it was all slightly more than three years ago didn't make it any less clear in his mind. Then again…this time in Atlas City, there had been no "incident" with the Sorcerer's Guild, no jailbreaks or quests for immortality…just time spent with those precious few he called his companions. Gradually, he relaxed and simply let the evening roll by. The warm, steady presence by his side never left, and though he never said as much, he appreciated it.


	6. Return

**Return **

"Oh? Hello, my friends! Fancy meeting you all here…." (EP 56)

* * *

As Zelgadis had silently predicted, the storm rolled past by morning, and everyone was up bright and early, ready to go. In no time at all, they had their gear gathered and their rooms paid for, and they were heading through the East Gate. It was, in fact, a perfect day for travel; the storm had left behind cool, dry air and a clear sky, and everyone was in good spirits. They automatically fell into a nice, steady pace that they could keep up for hours on end, a trick they had discovered ages ago from long experience. It let them cover more ground in a day than a casual observer might suspect.

They held the pace steady, stopping only for lunch, until some time in the mid-afternoon, when Lina paused momentarily to stretch and sigh in contentment. _Ahh! Fresh air…green trees…winding road…lovely sunshine…bandits…._

Lina blinked.

Bandits?

"Halt!" demanded a gruff voice from the side of the trail. "This road belongs to the Big Tough Guys Bandit Gang. Hand over your valuables!"

Zel and Amelia shook their heads sadly. "Poor form," she lamented, noting the lack of a suitable speech-giving stance.

"Not even original dialogue," Zel added.

"Too true," Amelia intoned mournfully, head hung at the tragedy, hand over her heart. "We'll have to take it up with the author." The pair nobly observed a moment of silence.

Lina, of course, never noticed; she had a familiar glint in her eyes and a spell at her fingertips. "Bandits, huh? Sorry, boys, but I don't think today's your day. _Fireball!" _

"That spell…," one of the few un-crisped bandits whispered to another. They both took a very close look at their intended quarry as the mental gears began to turn.

As one, the remaining bandits turned and ran, Lina in hot pursuit as they bolted off the right side of the path. Gourry, of course, followed like a faithful shadow. This was a fine plan (if you could call it a plan) as far as that went…it simply neglected the bandits who had remained hidden along the _left _side of the road. These rose slowly, sneering eagerly.

"I guess that's our cue," Amelia observed cheerfully. "Well?"

"Right." Zelgadis turned and looked at their other companion. "It might be best if you sit tight, Sylphiel," he advised. Then he nodded to Amelia. "Let's go!" The pair launched themselves into the fray.

He drew his sword, not bothering with any enchantments—it wouldn't be necessary against mere bandits. Amelia, thinking along similar lines, stuck with a volley of _Burst Rondos_ followed by a handful of cleverly-placed _Flare Arrows_. Their actions coordinated wonderfully, and they both began to sport foolish grins, thinking how this felt just like the best of old times.

Lina and Gourry drifted their way just when the number of bandits was starting to diminish. A particularly hulking fellow came lumbering forward, intent on fighting Zelgadis. Zel was preparing to oblige him, when all of the sudden Amelia shouted: "Zelgadis-san, get down!"

He ducked, feeling a massive blow pass just over his head and he caught a very peculiar, very unexpected whiff of power. "That's a Mazoku!" Amelia declared as she swiftly raised her hands to fire an _Elmekia Lance. _Zel blinked in surprise—a Mazoku?—but then well-trained instincts took over, and while Amelia kept the enemy occupied with another _Lance _he hastily cast _Astral Vine _onto his blade. As soon as Amelia ceased fire, he closed with the beast and swung, finishing it off in a couple of blindingly fast strokes. He got a look at its eyes and saw it begin to try to transform just before he dispatched it, and he knew Amelia had been exactly right. _It must have only been lower-level if I finished him that quickly, _Zel realized, _but that would still have been a nasty surprise if Amelia hadn't spotted him. _The whole thing was rather odd, including the reversal of the usual roles—usually it was Amelia getting close to danger and Zel shouting warnings to get down.

"What's going on here?" Lina asked them.

"I don't know…" Amelia replied, still staring at the space once occupied by the deceased Mazoku. Then she looked to Zelgadis. "Why would a Mazoku be in the middle of a bandit gang?" she asked, the question seemingly addressed both to Zelgadis and to the group in general.

Before anyone could reply, the silence was split by the sound of slow, sarcastic applause coming from above them. "Well spotted, princess, well spotted!"

They all looked up sharply. "Xellos!" Zelgadis and Lina spat the name like it was a curse. Amelia addressed him as "Xellos-san" in a more neutral tone, and Gourry just stayed silent.

"Did you send that Mazoku here, Xellos-san?" Amelia asked, remaining polite since it was her upbringing and her nature.

"Surely you know the answer to that," Xellos replied amiably. "_Sore wa himitsu desu_," he lilted.

Amelia took a moment to consider this. "I think that must mean yes," she reasoned.

At this, Xellos's eyes snapped open. "How unexpectedly shrewd." The rest of the group caught their breaths.

"But, Xellos-san, why even bother?" Amelia asked, not deterred by the sudden chill in the atmosphere.

"I have my reasons," he said jovially. His eyes were still open, and the group was growing vaguely afraid.

"But you must know how bandit gangs make people suffer—" Amelia began to argue. "Ah."

"Indeed," he agreed. Suffering, to a Mazoku, was like food.

"Xellos-san, I cannot let you continue doing this," Amelia told him.

He drifted down slowly, finally landing not a foot from her, regarding her intently with a very strange, very unreadable expression on his face. "Don't cross me, princess," he said quietly, the tone of his voice carrying the same strange quality as his expression.

She met his gaze squarely, not backing away. "I don't think I'll have a choice," she responded regretfully.

"That's too bad." Everything went very still for several minutes, as the two locked gazes.

Finally, he broke the eye-contact, eyes closing again as he lifted his face to the group as a whole. "Well, everybody, it's truly been lovely but I'm afraid I must be off. Still," he added, eternal smile widening a little more, "I'll definitely have to plan on hanging around some." He turned, then shot one last glance over his shoulder, eyes just slightly cracked as he looked straight at Amelia once more. "This isn't over." With that, he faced front and vanished.

Amelia swallowed—hard—and finally broke the silence.

"So…it looks like Xellos-san is back," she murmured.

"And if Xellos is around…." Zelgadis continued.

"Then we'd better clear our calendars," Lina finished grimly. "I dunno what the whole 'Mazoku in a Bandit camp' act was all about, but this just reeks of Somebody who is Up To Something."

"You know," Gourry put in, his bright blue eyes looking off into the distance as they sometimes did when he was pulling all of his mental faculties together, "if Xellos was interested in this place, maybe it means that the bandits have something really good."

Lina looked over at her companion, avaricious eyes gleaming. "Gourry—you're absolutely right! Let's see what they've got." Eagerly, she led the search for the bandits' hidden lair. Predictably, it was not far away, for no one had ever accused bandits of being very bright, or very original.

"This is the place," Lina declared, having found a convenient cave-entrance that practically screamed "I'm a bandit hideaway". The treasure trove was in a nice, big cavern towards the back of the natural, underground network. Most of it consisted of coins, non-magical jewelry, a few gems and a smattering of pretty, cheap gewgaws. Lina merrily began to scoop up handfuls of the stuff. Amelia simply sighed, having become used to Lina-san's…_unique _understanding of "Justice". Sylphiel was evidently thinking something similar, and the two shrine maidens exchanged a shrug. Zelgadis, meanwhile, bent to examine the bandits' treasure more critically, and he made an interesting discovery.

"This might be something," he announced, as he held up a battered-looking frame, which contained a painstakingly preserved map. Considering the average cultural literacy of bandits, this was not something one normally expected to find.

Lina swiftly stepped over to investigate, her keen interest very obvious. Zelgadis looked up skeptically, as though to dispute said interest, but then gave in and handed the map over.

Lina examined it carefully. The map looked to be fairly ancient, charting the land that now made up the present-day nation of Elmekia, with bits of what were now Seyruun and Zefielia shown around the edges, unless Lina very much missed her guess. Natural landmarks were sketched in, along with symbols indicating the locations of several cities. One was roughly in the same place as Elmekia's current capitol, but the others Lina was less sure of.

"This is interesting," she announced, "but I don't think it means much. Still, it is old…." She carefully slid it out of the frame, and started to roll it up so that she could stash it, when she paused. "What's this?" Penned discreetly on one of the tattered corners were a pair of numbers.

Zel and Amelia leaned in for a closer look.

"I don't know, Lina-san," Amelia replied.

"Coordinates," Zel broke in.

"What?" Lina asked eagerly.

"Those numbers—they're coordinates. Remember how I charted our location when we went to the Outer World? Well, that uses this numbering system."

"Not sure I'm completely following you," Lina grimaced, "but…you're saying that these numbers somehow tie in to a location on this map?"

"Exactly."

Now Lina was grinning wolfishly. "And if someone thought it was important enough to write down, then it can only mean that something valuable is there, just waiting for a beautiful sorcery genius like me to waltz on in and pick it up!" She rubbed her hands together. "So—where is it those numbers say to go?" she demanded, gazing expectantly at Zel.

"Um…I'm actually going to need a couple of references and a little time to work it out," Zelgadis replied hesitantly. "Honestly, there's no guarantee on what's at the other end," he pointed out.

"Nah—Gourry said it: if it was here, and Xellos was snooping around, it's bound to be good. I'm definitely going to check it out—you three coming along?" she asked Zel, Amelia and Sylphiel. Sylphiel was very hesitant, since she had other business, Zel wasn't entirely sure he wanted to get involved (it _always _turned into some sort of big deal), and Amelia had to weigh her conflicting duties to her friends, and to her country. Still, knowing how things tended to work in Lina-san's life, Amelia concluded that her duty to her friends was probably greater right at the moment.

"I'll go!" she announced.

"Well, I have no leads, so I guess I have nothing better to do," muttered Zel. "I'm in, too." He put on a big show of sighing, as if to say '_why me?' _This was privately amusing to Lina, who had to wonder how genuine that show really was.

Sylphiel was still indecisive, and Amelia wondered whether she should encourage her companion to stay or go. On the one hand, it could be painful for Sylphiel to be traveling day-in, day-out with Lina-san and Gourry-san. On the other hand, maybe some travels and adventures would be good for Sylphiel, and this could be her only opportunity before becoming completely tied down with the rebuilding project.

"What do you think, Sylphiel-san?" Amelia asked gently.

"I don't know…."

"Well, you can think about it for a while," Amelia reassured her. "You'll be headed the same direction either way, at least as far as Seyruun." Amelia thought that they could give it a try that long. If things were working out, Sylphiel could stay on, and if not, she could part with them at Seyruun without risking any embarrassment.

"True…." Sylphiel acknowledged.

"Yeah, no need to rush it," Lina agreed sympathetically. Lina certainly never meant to do anything to hurt Sylphiel (indeed, they had faced a lot together, and she even owed Sylphiel her life) but Sylphiel's…devotion to Gourry created an unavoidable tension in the women's relationship. It didn't help that Lina did not quite feel _ready_ to think about the 'possibilities' between herself and her loyal protector. _Well, _she thought, _it doesn't change the fact that it's wrong to turn her away._ "You'll be welcome to come if you want to, Sylphiel," Lina finally said. "It's whatever you want to do."

"Thank you, Lina-san."

"Ah, don't mention it," Lina said lightly, shrugging it off with a smile to conceal her inner turmoil.

They explored a little more but, at length, they realized that it had gotten rather late in the day, so they left the caverns and turned to the task of finding somewhere to settle down for the night.


	7. Reflecting

**Reflecting **

"And so, it looks like we're off on another adventure….." (EP 26)

* * *

It didn't take long for them to find themselves a comfy-looking spot to set up camp. Soon, they had a good fire going (actually, almost instantly—they _were _with Lina Inverse after all) and they all arranged themselves around it, each having staked out a log, stone or patch of ground as their own personal territory. Once the fire had burned long enough to build a good bed of coals, it was time to think about dinner; to everyone's delight, Sylphiel volunteered to handle the cooking.

What seemed like forever ago, Gourry had introduced Sylphiel to the rest by recalling that she was a very good cook; the truth was, she was more than good. In fact, she was exceptional. Amelia did help with some of the more menial tasks at first, since it felt good to keep occupied, but the real credit still belonged to Sylphiel.

"So, Lina-san," Amelia said as she busied herself chopping a handful of carrots, "what do you think we'll find when we follow the map?"

"No idea, really," Lina admitted cheerfully. If anything, the element of mystery seemed to make it all the better for the petite sorceress. "It _looks _like we'll be heading for somewhere in Elmekia—"

"It does?" Gourry piped up .

"Yes, Gourry, it does," Lina answered, grumbling like she usually did when interrupted. "It's a pretty good bet those 'coordinates' or whatever point to somewhere actually shown by the map, and it's a map of Elmekia—or, rather, what was there a really long time ago."

"Oh…."

Amelia had been smiling faintly as she watched the exchange, but her brow furrowed slightly as she saw the big-hearted blonde go very quiet. Was it her, or was something really bothering him? It was unlike him to grow all pensive and anxious, unless maybe Lina-san was in danger. Amelia tried to puzzle it out. Didn't she remember hearing sometime that Gourry originally came from Elmekia? She thought so, but surely that couldn't have anything to do with his current unease. After all, she knew that _she _was always delighted when their travels brought them back to _her_ home. Shouldn't it be the same for him? It would be awfully sad if it wasn't….

Soon, however, the topic of the unknown treasure and its possible location was left behind, replaced by more general banter, and Gourry quickly perked back up. It helped that, by then, they were all basking in the sumptuous aromas of a promising stew as well as the fire's warmth. Lina and Gourry were now happily lost in daydreams of the upcoming meal (and in Lina's case, some daydreams about the treasure, too).

Zel chose another way to keep busy. While he was waiting for the food to finish, Zelgadis asked Lina for the map and pulled a well-worn reference book from one of the magically-extended pockets built into the folds of his cloak. He buried himself in the work without another word or glance at the others. Actually, he was isolating himself on purpose, and he had to struggle to concentrate. His mind kept returning to the "little discussion" with Xellos that afternoon. "_This isn't over…." _Knowing Xellos, it probably wasn't. Zel's contemplations began to circle back onto themselves, wearing a rut in a solitary path.

Her job as chef's assistant now done, Amelia went back to her chosen fireside log. She gazed into the flames for awhile, then looked across the fire at Zelgadis-san. After a moment of observing him she realized that _he _was now sinking into one of his moods. Apparently, now that Gourry-san was recovered, it was Zelgadis-san's turn—though, of course, with him it was not so unusual.

It always tore at her a little to see him like that, and she longed to do something for him. The problem was, it took a very delicate hand to coax him back out when he was determined to retreat…. She quietly padded across the camp and crouched down next to him. She didn't move to take a seat right at first—a silent offer to stay only if he wished her to. It heartened her a little that he didn't immediately object, so she stayed as she was for a minute or so, just being there.

He seemed to actually be focusing more on his book, now, instead of simply brooding—a small step in the right direction?—so she finally ventured to speak when her natural curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you looking up, Zelgadis-san?"

He looked over and regarded her with one of his most unreadable expressions for a moment, wordlessly inviting her to sit. "I'm trying to figure out which numbering-system the writer of those coordinates was using."

"Numbering system?" she prompted.

"Right. It's—" he cut off with a frown as he realized that he was going to have to supply some background information before she'd be able to understand. He sighed but, without knowing it, he had been defeated in his quest for isolation. While he was never quite as obvious about it as Lina was, he _could _be tempted by the prospect of showing off his knowledge and skills—and Amelia, equally unconsciously, had tapped that temptation. Perhaps she could do so because it was always a little stronger when she was around….

"The idea," he explained, "is to…to let you label locations by covering the area drawn on the map with a kind of grid. That's rows of squares, like, well…."

"Like a chess-board, maybe, or tiles!" Amelia supplied excitedly, quickly catching on.

"Yes, exactly," he nodded. "The tiles are a better example, because what really matters is the lines_ between _the tiles, that cross at the corners, like so—" He picked up a twig and drew a miniature grid, with three lines each horizontally and vertically. "You can take each line and give it a number—we've got one, two three across and one, two, three up-and-down. Each corner can therefore be 'named' using two numbers—one for each of the lines that meet there. The two main questions are: 'how big do I make the squares?' and 'where do I start counting when I give the lines numbers?'—because there really isn't any obvious way to do it just from looking at the world itself. That's what leads to the different systems."

"Oh—right! So you've got to know which one it is before you can figure the map out…."

"That's the basic idea," he confirmed. "I think I know where they start counting—most of the original systems used Old Sairaag as their center. In fact, a lot of the newer ones still do, and the rest of the new systems tend to center on Seyruun."

"Really? Fancy that…." She actually found it kind of fascinating, though she had to smile a little sheepishly for not having known about the connection to Seyruun before.

Zel lapsed into silence again, but there was a distinct difference in his mood, and by the time dinner was officially announced by Sylphiel a couple of minutes later, Amelia noted with satisfaction that everyone seemed to be more relaxed and back to normal. The crew dug in with a will—well, mostly Lina and Gourry, with the others simply trying to be quick enough to get a share before it disappeared.

"Man," Lina enthused, "this is _great!_ Sylphiel, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take back what I said to you before."

"Um, what do you mean, Lina-san…?" Sylphiel asked nervously.

With a grin and a wink, Lina replied, "I know I said coming or going was your choice—but with cooking like this, I don't think I can let you leave!" So saying, Lina promptly returned to inhaling the stew. Sylphiel was a little unsure how to take such a compliment, though she couldn't help but feel at least a tiny bit flattered.

Once they had all finished, the group sat back in contentment and eventually took to their bedrolls to get a good night's sleep. As he drifted off, Zel wondered in a garbled, half-asleep way, if the nightmares would come to visit after the day's encounter with Xellos. Apparently, though, the presence of friends and a bellyful of good, warm food could work miracles.

After a peaceful night, the group was up and on the road again. Lina declared that they would head off the Trade Road and cross into Ralteague early, rather than follow the Road back through Telmoord like the original outbound journey had done. When Amelia asked _why _they'd be taking a side-route, Lina triumphantly pointed out that doing it this way was bound to be "a lot more interesting". Amelia, Zel and Sylphiel all exchanged apprehensive glances as they contemplated what Lina might _mean_ by "interesting". They universally concluded that they really didn't want to know. Too bad that they were probably doomed to find out anyway.

Amelia valued her own life too highly to protest Lina-san's plans, and she reluctantly decided that it really wouldn't matter what roads they took so long as she still arrived back home before Captain Trels and the main delegation (which would avoid causing her father to worry). They escaped suffering anything of the 'interesting' variety the first several days of their side-jaunt, but it simply was not Fate's way to leave their lives quiet for very long.

It was on the fourth day that they realized they were running low on provisions. Sylphiel found this a little strange, since she could have sworn that she'd packed extra—but the fact remained that they were starting to run out of food, and this was not a good situation when Lina-san was involved. Therefore, they quickly charted a course for the nearest town, which they reached early the next morning.

It was a very quiet little hamlet, its streets lined with rows of neat, picturesque little cottages—so much so it looked more like the _ideal _of the Rural Village rather than one of the real thing. That made Zel instantly suspicious, but nothing happened to them as they ambled down the path to the town and, more importantly, Gourry was at ease, showing no more than his usual level of general alertness to Zel's trained eye. That settled it; as a rule, if there was a threat, then Gourry's nearly superhuman awareness would be the first to pick up on it. It was all the more impressive considering that Gourry did it without the aid of chimerically enhanced senses, and Zel shook his head, concluding that he must just be on edge after the events of a few days ago.

It was't that he was wrong to trust Gourry's instincts—he'd just forgotten that _other_ rule about heeding one's first impressions.

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A/N: I'm finally back! Sorry it's been so long guys. I realize that there isn't a lot of action in this chapter, but I hope you've enjoyed it anyway. For those who are interested, I've started publishing some author's notes reflecting on this fanfic on my LiveJournal (the name there is raywing). I've put the link to my journal on my author profile page. Anyway, thanks for your patience, everybody! 


	8. Reality Bites

Hello again, dear readers. "Shadows" is back! Special thanks to DQBunny, who agreed to beta-read this chapter, and also thanks to all the wonderful folks who have left reviews. You keep this story going!

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**Chapter 7: Reality Bites**

"It's not my fault this all happened." (EP 20)

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Lina was just about ready to explode out of sheer frustration. Literally. Not that this was necessarily a hard state to achieve with her, but this was fast turning into _one of those days_, where nothing seems to go right, not even the simplest things which ought to have been perfectly straightforward.

She was certain that it had all started the very moment they first set foot in the town, whose cheerful sign proclaimed it to be Meriberg. They were walking down the street—completely peaceably, she'd have you know, and minding their own business as they admired the scenery--when they paused to let a heavily-laden cart cross their path. The driver looked like a fairly typical, hardy farmer-type, and with him were two younger men who looked like they might be his sons, and another fellow who looked to be unrelated. He was so tall and scrawny he practically looked like a living scarecrow, but he was dressed much as everybody else was in simple peasant's clothes.

The only warning the companions had when the day turned sour was the sound of a loud _snap _as one of the cart's axles gave out, which caused the cart to lurch to a halt and keel sideways, spilling a good portion of its cargo of produce all over the street. The sudden commotion drew an instant crowd, and before they could blink, the streets were blocked up. _Sure_, Lina inwardly groused, _it just _had_ to happen _right here_, now didn't it_? Some deity somewhere must be having a really good laugh over all of this….

Lina was growing angry and impatient, and the press of the crowd made Zelgadis extremely uneasy. Things only got better when a troop of overly-beefy warrior types decked out in ridiculously puffed-out leather armor came strutting up, looking for the cause of all the trouble.

"Ho, strangers!" one of them bellowed the moment he caught sight of Lina and the others. Judging from the fact that his armor was the most ridiculous and overdone of all, he must be the _head_ beef, Lina deduced. "What means this?! Have you come to our fair town to make trouble?" he demanded.

"Uh, not really," was Lina's perplexed response.

"'Not really'? Aha! So, you admit that you _might _be here to cause trouble,"

"That's not what I said," Lina countered.

"So! You attempt to deny your evil scheme to wreck our commerce?" the head beef asked forcefully.

"Excuse me?" Lina's face was beginning to take on a characteristic twitch that most people would recognize as the first sign of impending immolation.

Either unfamiliar with this expression or else lacking in mental capacity (it was hard to tell which, since this guy was making Gourry look like a genius), the man struck a heroic pose and pointed dramatically at the broken-down cart. "Now how will Farmer Thomas bring his goods to market with his wagon destroyed? You, who dare to threaten our way of life—know that I, the mighty Belus, shall stand against you!"

Lina pressed her fingertips to her forehead as she tried to remain calm. "Now look here," she began, gritting her teeth.

"My, my, Lina-san. You've made a new friend." If the cheeky, far too cheerful tone wasn't enough to identify the speaker, the voice itself was all too easy to recognize as Xellos, their favorite unwelcome guest.

"Hello again, Xellos," Lina snarled, not sounding particularly thrilled. She saw him opening his mouth to make another quip, but she cut him off. "Don't you even start."

Seeing that the Great and Evil Sorceress was now calling upon Hordes of Fiendish Allies (these being, namely, Xellos) Belus wasted no time summoning the rest of his troops. All the other inhabitants of the town—or those who hadn't been there already, at any rate—were now gathering around to watch the show. Xellos waved cheerfully to the gathered guardsmen, which, of course, only raised their hackles further.

"Why does that fruitcake always show up at times like this?" Lina grumbled under her breath.

"Why, Lina-san. If I didn't know any better, I'd start to think you actually missed me," Xellos beamed, albeit quietly, having caught her last remark.

"You—". No one heard exactly what Lina said next, but it couldn't have been very lady-like.

Belus and his guards edged forward, doing their best to look menacing in their ridiculous getups, and Lina's ongoing death-glare now turned back in their direction. She continued to mutter, and when her companions were able to make out what she was saying, they were dismayed (if not precisely surprised) to recognize the incantation for _Dil Brando_.

To everyone's amazement, it was Sylphiel who intervened. She stepped meekly forward to place herself at the front of the group, not coincidentally happening to wind up between Lina and her intended prey. She assumed a humble pose, hands clasped delicately before her. "Good Sir Belus, pray do have mercy. I am but a poor, wandering damsel, and these, my companions, are wanderers, too. We could not possibly be a match for such fine warriors as you and your men." She batted her eyes and gave a mouse-like little bow.

"Excuse me?!" Lina snarled from her place behind the shrine maiden. _Just what does she mean we're 'not a match' for these buffoons? Oh, that does it. I'll—" _Her silent tirade was abruptly cut short when Gourry placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Now, Gourry knew full well that he wasn't the smartest guy the world had ever seen. He also knew—as Lina did—that they could wipe the floor with these guys. Heck, they could do it without even breaking a sweat. Therefore, he had the distinct impression that Sylphiel had some sort of plan going, even if he couldn't be sure what the plan was, exactly.

Amelia, meanwhile, was hiding a grin, which was shortly joined by one from Zel. After all, from what they'd seen so far, the whole village was a living cliché. That given, there was no "heroic warrior" who could resist the charms of a "damsel in distress"…. _Ha! Score one for Sylphiel__,_ Amelia thought.Still smirking at Belus' expense, she and Zelgadis sat back and let it all take its course.

"We mean no harm," Sylphiel went on, her voice smooth and reassuring. "My humble companions and I are nearly out of provisions. We came only to resupply, and find a night's rest for our weary selves. Surely you, in your kindness, can grant this most generous boon to souls in need."

"Why, of course, fair lady!" Belus proclaimed, puffing up even more (if such were possible—which, amazingly enough, seemed to be the case). "Fear not! I myself shall escort you to our finest inn!"

"You are most kind! Do lead on, noble sir," Sylphiel acknowledged, playing her role to the hilt, as only she could. Still a touch giddy from her spate of remarkable boldness, she stifled a giggle and actually dared to glance back at the others and toss them a wink, before turning to face forward once more and following their "escort". The rest gawked, looked at one-another and, seeing nothing else to do, followed quietly along. Xellos was nearly doubled over with silent laughter, but Belus seemed to have forgotten all about him. When he was able to catch his breath again, Xellos drew back a ways and flitted along behind the group from shadow to shadow. The rest of the group was used to it, and paid it no mind.

After a few minutes, the rest of the group arrived at an inn. Judging by the well-maintained exterior, it was a pretty classy establishment, and they all started to feel like things were looking up. The sign over the front door was emblazoned with the image of a giant, dusty boot, underneath which was a legend which read "Wayfarer's Rest". Lina elbowed her way to the front of the group and led them inside, where they sauntered up to the lovely reception-desk and its helpful-looking attendant…only to be told that, a thousand pardons, but there were no vacancies.

"Eh, heh-heh." Belus scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "That's right—tourist season started last week. They _said _all the inns were going to fill up. I sorta forgot…."

"Who does _that _remind me of?" Lina muttered, rolling her eyes.

Belus' look of dismay quickly brightened, however, and he insisted he knew "just the place". It didn't have any vacancies, either. So their first stop, the "Ocean View," (under the sign of a starfish—apparently nobody had told the proprietor that there weren't any oceans around here) was followed by "Ye Olde Reliable" (under the sign of a broken-down nag) and the "Rotgut Saloon" (whose sign bore the image of a grimy beer stein) each establishment looking seedier than the last. Their final stop, seediest looking of all, was "Ye Restful Inn," under the sign of an ugly, conked-out troll. At this point, Amelia thought she heard Lina demanding, of nobody in particular, "just who designs these damned signs, anyway?"

Thanks to its lack of curb appeal, Ye Restful Inn turned out to be the one place in town that still had vacancies. After determining that the inside looked at least a _bit _better than the outside, the companions (still sans Xellos) elected to take their chances and reserve some rooms. They opted for their usual money-saving tactic and took only two rooms, one for ladies and one for gentlemen. As the ladies entered their room and shed their traveling gear and cloaks, they had a look around.

"Hey, neat!" Lina exclaimed as she caught sight of the wash-stand and noticed that it had an actual tap that supplied their room with running water. Such plumbing existed in the world at large, but it was still rare and an untold luxury. "This place must be better than we thought." Wanting to freshen up after so much time on the road, she eagerly crossed the room to the wash-stand. She turned the tap to a pleasantly warm setting, and cupped her hands under the fall—only to draw them back suddenly. "Yeowch! Hot-hot-hot," she yelped, hopping about and shaking her poor, scalded fingers. She adjusted the tap down a bit, thinking, "ahh, this'll be better". This time, the water was as cold as ice. "Arrgh. Stupid thing," she growled. She fiddled with it for several minutes, never getting it to produce anything but super-hot or super-cold. "Hmmph. So much for that," she growled.

"That's too bad, Lina-san," Amelia commiserated. "Why don't we rest up a bit?'

"Sure…but is it me or is it really stuffy in here?"

Amelia blinked. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" she agreed slowly. "But I could have sworn that it felt fine a moment ago."

Lina shrugged padded over to the window. "Let's get some air, then." She grabbed hold of the lower sash and pulled, but it refused to budge. She tugged harder, but no matter how hard she pulled, it still refused to move for several minutes until, all at once, it gave way and shot up the track, nearly causing Lina to tumble out the window. Thoroughly exasperated, she claimed the bed nearest the window and flopped down on it to relax a while. Within seconds, the room had grown as cold as winter in Dils. "What the—?" she snarled, frantically grabbing at the covers…only to discover that the bed was short-sheeted. A second look revealed that the other beds had received the same treatment. The last straw was a shivering Amelia observing how weird the 'cold-snap' was, considering that it was pleasantly balmy outside.

"Just what the heck is going on here?" Lina snarled.

"You don't suppose it could be Xellos-san trying to mess with us…?" Amelia suggested.

"I dunno, Amelia. This doesn't seem quite like him. Sure, he can be a nuisance, but he doesn't usually pull practical jokes 'just because'."

"He _did _have us chasing all those false Claire Bible leads a few years ago," Amelia pointed out.

Lina's hand drifted to her chin as she contemplated. "That's true. Of course, he still probably had his own purposes, but you've got a point. We can't put it past him, can we?" She thought about it a moment more, than finally gave a shrug and shook her head.

"Ah, forget it," she sighed. "We're not going to figure it out sitting here, and there's no way we're getting any rest now. Let's just go buy our supplies."

Amelia and Sylphiel agreed that they might as well, so after rounding up the guys they set off once more across town. The market district wasn't far from the town center, and before long they'd located the grocer's shop. This lightened Lina's mood considerably.

Within moments, she had the proprietor dashing around the store, gathering up foodstuffs to fill her orders. There was an occasional pause as she turned to Sylphiel, counting on their "pet chef" to think of anything that Lina might have missed. Unlike everything else that day, the whole operation went quite smoothly.

That is, it went smoothly until it was time to pay.

Lina reached into the folds of her cape and drew out a handful of "common coin," the universal currency of the Inner Lands that most traders were so fond of. The idea for an international currency had come from Seyruun, of course, on the theory that trade fostered peace and vice-versa, though most countries still had their own currencies, too. Such was the case in Ralteague, and the shopkeeper insisted that only Ralteague's money would do. This didn't happen often to Lina, but like the shrewd businesswoman she was, she was prepared for these eventualities.

She went for another of her hidden pockets and started to dig around for another of her purses, where she had set aside some of the local currency. Alas, as tends to happen with pockets, it had been a while since it had last been cleaned out, and it was now overfull of random junk. The purse must have gotten buried way down in there somewhere, but no matter how she dug, Lina just couldn't find it. In the end, Amelia had to step in before things turned violent, and she convinced the shopkeeper to accept Seyruun credit after some strenuous negotiation.

Now _thoroughly _exhausted, they gathered up their purchases and began the long trudge back towards the inn. Somehow, Lina was only partly surprised when the bottoms of their grocery bags simultaneously gave out.

"_That does it!" _she screamed. "I want to know _what the hell is going on!"_

Predictably, this was the moment when Xellos came out of the shadows to rejoin them. "Ah, dear. Rough day?"

Lina didn't answer. She just started chanting a spell.

"Now, now, Lina-san. You act as if I've had something to do with all this."

"You're saying you didn't?"

"Of course not, Lina-san. Really," he huffed, "I'm insulted. I don't _do _such petty annoyances." Well, he _did _sometimes make exceptions for Filia-san, but he wasn't about to admit that aloud.

Lina frowned. Xellos sometimes…phrased the truth to suit his own ends, or left out some bit of important info unless asked point-blank, but he never flat-out _lied. _Amelia and Sylphiel contemplated this same fact, and suddenly exchanged a long, anxious glance. "Uh-oh," Sylphiel breathed. It still managed to catch the attention of the others. "If he's telling the truth, then you don't suppose..."

"I'm afraid so," Amelia said grimly. "Lina-san, I think we've got a poltergeist."


End file.
